I'm in the middle of cleaning my fish tank right now, and I'm wiping down the inside and outside of the tank. I'm using the same rag I used for doing the dishes. I kept remembering to rinse the rag very well before wiping the inside of the tank, except for the last time ... when I squeezed out the rag, a few bubbles were in the tank, and my rag still smelled a little like dish soap. Is this going to seriously harm my fish? I need to let the water in the tank sit for 24HRS anyways. HELP!
2007-02-08 05:04:57 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
Yeah... the problem with soap is that it leaves a residue. You should have an assortment of accessories that you use ONLY for fish stuff. Turkey basters, rags, sponges, towels, buckets, razor blade etc - that sort of thing - you should NEVER use anything on / in your tank that ever came into contact with cleaning products, bleach, soap, chemicals, etc.
Anyway, your only choices are to either buy a new tank (since your tank is small enough that you can clean in the sink, you could probably find a new one for cheap) or rinse your current tank repeatedly with very hot water. Then let it soak, and rinse a few more times. Then see if there are any bubbles that apear and do not burst within a few seconds when you fill it with water.
In the future, I suggest that you refrain from completely cleaning your tank. Simply use a clean turkey baster or small syphon tube to remove half the water, along with any food and poop - either once a day if you do not have a filter, or once a week if you do have a filter. This is healthier for your fish, too.
2007-02-08 05:11:14 · answer #1 · answered by Zoe 6 · 6⤊ 1⤋
I too have gotten soap in a tank before. Wash it out several times with hot water and wipe down the inside with a clean rag each time. That should remove enough of the soap to not be a problem. Fill the tank but don't start the filter. Check the tank after a few hours looking for an "oil slick" look on the surface. If you have that, wash it out again. If not, your good to go. While the soap can kill the fish, a very minor residue usually will pose no problems. The carbon in the filter will also help remove toxins from almost any source, including soap.
2007-02-08 13:33:35 · answer #2 · answered by magicman116 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Change 100% of the water asap. Soap can kill fish. Why would you use your dish rag on a fish tank anyway?
2007-02-08 13:13:40 · answer #3 · answered by bzzflygirl 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You may kill off your fish if you don't get rid of ALL residue.
You'll have to hose out your tank and make sure any decorations or rocks don't have any soap in it.
That's why one should never, ever use anything to clean the aquarium with that has been used for anything else, and never use kitchen sponges because they have chemicals in them to keep the sponge from drying out, etc.
Just remember that if you have to do this, you may cycle your tank over again and that'll be stressful to your fish too.
2007-02-08 13:13:24 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
change your water and don't' worry too much. dish soap has minimal chemicals that will harm your fish. you need to avoid using spray cleaners, floor cleaners, even laundry cleaners but dish soap is relatively benign -- just don't let them swim in dish water.
in the future try using paper towels or get an aquarium sponge to wipe down your tank. cleaning sponges are full of chemicals you don't want near your fish.
2007-02-08 15:16:25 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
not if it's a big tank with plenty of water. but I would do a partial water change just to be safe and keep an eye on the tank for a while (also add some water conditioning stuff)
good luck!
2007-02-08 13:10:41 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Change the water as soon as possible.
2007-02-08 13:12:06 · answer #7 · answered by ~*Marie~* 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
well l would clean out your fish bowl lf l were you.
2007-02-08 13:10:36 · answer #8 · answered by pamela d 6 · 1⤊ 3⤋